Introduced in May 2013, the Aeryon SkyRanger™ brings a new airframe and integrated system design to the Aeryon sUAS vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) platform.
Like its predecessor, the Aeryon Scout, the SkyRanger was designed as a software and payload platform with an intuitive touchscreen interface that provides simple point-and-click navigation and camera control, and seamless automated functions and safety features. The SkyRanger weighs approximately 5.3 lbs (2.4 kg) and is a quadrotor system with nearly silent operation. The vehicle can be operated beyond the line of sight up to 3.1 miles (5 km) from the user, in temperatures 22 –122°F (-30 – 50°C) and at altitudes above ground level of up to 0.9 miles (1500m).

The SkyRanger provides:

50-minute flight endurance

40 mph (65 kph) sustained wind tolerance

55 mph (90 kph) wind gusts

stabilized dual EO/IR payload with streaming 1080p30 HD color video

immediate pre-assembled deployment from a compact integrated backpack

Communications and Control

As with the Scout, the SkyRanger is not controlled by a joystick, enabling users to operate the vehicle with minimal training. Using a tablet touchscreen interface, the SkyRanger is piloted by simply pointing to an area on the map that the user wishes to fly to. Height control is similar – using a scroll bar on the screen to monitor altitude. The system operates using custom or commercially available map data, in several formats. In addition, real-time maps can be used during flight. It can also be flown manually by the operator or pre-programmed to fly a series of GPS waypoints. To ensure safe operation of the vehicle, the SkyRanger has built-in safety features. The system constantly monitors external conditions of wind speeds, as well as internal functions such as battery life. With the ability to constantly monitor conditions, the SkyRanger is able to make an automated decision on a course of action to take. The built in intelligence allows the system to return home, land immediately or hover and wait for input from the operator. It also offers secure network pairing and AES 256 bit encryption.